BF Chapter 6

A few days later, Xu Shen paid Cai Lihao’s bar another visit.

It was early in the evening, and the bar hadn’t opened for business yet. Xu Shen sat down in front of the counter and only asked for a glass of water. Cai Lihao came over, putting a hand on his shoulder: “Free to come by so early today?”

Xu Shen said offhandedly: “I still have things to do later, so I’ll be leaving soon.”

He asked Cai Lihao if there was any trouble on his end. Cai Lihao said nonchalantly: “Just minor stuff.”

In any case, he had always been dealing in ethically-grey businesses, so visits to the police station were a regular occurrence. This time, Xu Zijie falling from his hotel, strictly speaking, didn’t have much to do with him; At most, a hotel server delivering the wrong meal triggered an allergy, so he was only indirectly responsible.

Xu Zijie’s death was ultimately classified as an accidental death: excessive drinking combined with allergy-induced hallucinations, causing him to step out the window mistaking it for a door. He had brought it upon himself.

“There is one thing, though,” Cai Lihao said. “Your eldest sister-in-law’s cousin fled to Vietnam the night of the incident. I originally had my people over there keep an eye on him, but two days ago, he suddenly went missing.”

“Missing?” there was a slight pause in Xu Shen’s voice. “Why would he go missing?”

Cai Lihao shook his head: “It seemed like someone else was keeping tabs on him, too. Do you think someone else knows the inside story of your eldest brother’s death? But that shouldn’t be the case…”

Xu Shen lowered his eyes, staring at the sloshing water in his glass. As though struck by a sudden realization, he remained silent for a moment before setting the glass down.

“I’m leaving.”

Cai Lihao asked: “Leaving so soon? What do you have going on tonight?”

Xu Shen put his hands in his pockets: “Going to find my toy.”

Leaving the bar, he took a taxi straight to Tsim Sha Tsui, where Xu Zikang was hosting an opening cocktail party for his gallery that evening.

There was a bit of traffic on the way, so Xu Shen arrived slightly late, and a good crowd had already gathered.

He found the flower basket he had sent among the rows of other flower baskets at the entrance and placed them together with those sent by the other members of the Xu Family. Zhan Shili’s basket, however, was placed in a separate spot to the side. Xu Shen stopped, called over a receptionist, and had them put his and Zhan Shili’s flower baskets side by side.

After doing this, he walked inside to greet Xu Zikang first.

Xu Zikang, though sitting in a wheelchair, was in high spirits and beaming with joy. His painting had fetched a high price at a city art auction last month, and now his personal gallery was already up and running on a considerable scale. Many people came to show support, showering this rising young artist with compliments.

Xu Shen also stepped forward to congratulate him: “Third Brother, congratulations.”

Xu Zikang was in very high spirits. He chatted with Xu Shen for a while and then told him to wander around at his leisure, saying he would come back to keep him company later.

Xu Shen nodded: “I’ll just look around on my own. Go ahead and tend to your business, Third Brother.”

He strolled around by himself and spotted Zhan Shili standing still up ahead, attentively appreciating an artwork on the wall.

It was rare to see Zhan Shili without a suit and tie; he wore a black silk shirt, no tie, top button unfastened, and giving off a somewhat casual air.

Xu Shen stepped forward and looked at the painting Zhan Shili was viewing. It was a bold and colorful abstract art piece, full of pretension.

Zhan Shili spoke first: “What do you think of this painting?”

Xu Shen expressed his opinion quite frankly: “It’s nothing special, but I know it’s definitely valuable. After all, it’s something painted by Xu Shiji’s son.”

Zhan Shili turned to look at him, “Since you have no interest in these things, why come all this way in person to show support?”

Xu Shen asked, “And you? Are you interested?”

Zhan Shili said, “I was free, so I came to take a look. He wanted me to come anyway.”

Xu Shen then answered his previous question: “It’s only right for me to support my Third Brother. After all, not only are his paintings valuable, but he himself is valuable too. I should learn from you and get along well with him.”

Zhan Shili paid no mind to his sarcastic remark, “You don’t seem like the type of person who would force himself.”

“It can’t be helped,” Xu Shen feigned helplessness. “When under another’s roof, one has to bow one’s head.”

Zhan Shili didn’t believe it. “Would you?”

Xu Shen retorted: “What makes you think I wouldn’t?”

Zhan Shili didn’t respond. If he had to say, it would be that the moment he first laid eyes on this Young Master Shen, his intuition told him this man was different from everyone else in the Xu Family.

As they were talking, Xu Zikang wheeled over and asked, “Nic, Ah Shen, what are you talking about?”

Zhan Shili said dismissively, “Just happened to run into Young Master Shen, so we ended up having a casual chat.”

Xu Shen also spoke up: “Mr. Zhan seems to like this painting very much, but I don’t understand these things very well.”

The moment Xu Zikang talked about paintings with them, he grew excited, chattering ceaselessly about the inspiration, concepts, and colors of the piece.

Zhan Shili listened quite intently, and Xu Shen’s gaze frequently fell on him, confirming once again that this man was putting on an act; it was completely different from the man who had revealed his true colors in the funeral home stairwell that night.

He faked it so well that Xu Shen himself had only caught a brief glimpse of his true nature.

The more Xu Zikang talked, the more passionate he became, until his assistant came over to say that several distinguished guests had just arrived and needed him to personally go and receive them.

“Then Nic, Ah Shen, you two go get some food and drinks first, I’ll come find you in a bit.”

After giving his instructions, Xu Zikang asked Zhan Shili to help take care of Xu Shen for him before he was then promptly pushed away by his assistant.

With a half-smile, Xu Shen looked at Zhan Shili: “You heard him, my Third Brother wants you to take care of me, too.”

Zhan Shili turned around first: “Let’s go grab something to drink.”

From time to time, people came over to exchange pleasantries with Zhan Shili. Most of today’s guests had come for the prestige of the Xu Family’s third young master, so naturally, they also recognized Zhan Shili, Xu Shiji’s capable assistant.

Zhan Shili socialized with composed ease, helping to introduce Xu Shen, which led all kinds of scrutinizing glances to fall on Xu Shen.

Xu Shen handled it with composure, nodding, smiling, and shaking hands with a natural grace.

“You seem very accustomed to occasions like this,” Zhan Shili said once they were alone. He held a glass of champagne, slowly sipping it. “After you enter the company and begin working for the boss, there will be many more social gatherings like this.”

Xu Shen said, “If I can’t handle it, I still have Nic who’s here to help, no?”

It was no secret in this circle that the Xu Family had taken back an illegitimate son. Xu Shiji had deliberately handled it discreetly, so others naturally didn’t take Xu Shen very seriously. It was just that some showed it blatantly while others, under the pretense of having a sophisticated character, kept it hidden. Xu Shen wasn’t unaware of the contempt inadvertently revealed in their words and gazes; he simply didn’t care.

Seeing the trust in his eyes, Zhan Shili felt a subtle stir in his heart despite knowing full well it was fake.

“I’ll do my best,” Zhan Shili said.

“Thank you,” Xu Shen smiled, gently clinking glasses with him.

As they were talking, a reckless child came running over and bumped into a lady next to Xu Shen. She lost her balance and spilled the wine in her glass.

Zhan Shili shielded Xu Shen from the spill, and more than half the glass of red wine ended up splattered across his shirt.

Coming to her senses, the lady hurriedly apologized to him. Zhan Shili frowned and said, “It’s fine,” without showing much displeasure.

Xu Shen reminded him, “Your clothes are completely wet.”

Xu Zikang saw what happened from a distance and came over to ask what had occurred. Zhan Shili didn’t offer much explanation, simply asking where the bathroom was.

Seeing him in such a disheveled state, Xu Zikang immediately instructed his assistant to go downstairs to the mall to buy him new clothes and said: “I’ll take you to my lounge. There’s a bathroom there.”

Zhan Shili didn’t refuse. Xu Shen watched them walk away, stroking the wine glass in his hand for a moment with lowered eyes, clicking his tongue softly.

Xu Zikang’s assistant returned with the clothes very quickly, passing along word to Xu Zikang that there was a matter outside requiring his personal attention.

After a moment of hesitation, Xu Zikang told Zhan Shili that he would head out first. Zhan Shili nodded indifferently.

Once there was no one left in the lounge, he took off his soaked shirt and stepped into the bathroom, chest bare.

Some wine had gotten onto his body as well, so Zhan Shili walked over to the sink, pulled out a few paper towels, dampened them, and quickly wiped himself clean. Suddenly, he heard a click!, the sound of the bathroom door locking from the inside.

Zhan Shili raised his eyes and saw Xu Shen in the mirror behind him, leaning against the wall and looking at him from behind in the mirror.

Without any rush, he pulled out paper towels to dry his hands, tossed them into the trash can, and turned around.

Xu Shen remained leaning against the wall unmoving, watching Zhan Shili approach, and handed over the clean shirt he had brought in for him.

Zhan Shili silently took the clothes and put them on.

Xu Shen took a step forward, raised his hands and said softly, “Let me help you.”

Zhan Shili didn’t object, letting him button up the shirt one by one.

Fingertips occasionally brushing against his skin, Zhan Shili felt a slight itch, his voice lowering: “Are you like this when you do this for others, too?”

“I don’t do such things for others,” Xu Shen answered, his eyes lowered as he focused on the work at hand, fastening the last button before looking up at Zhan Shili. “Have you thought over the proposal from that night?”

—That night in the funeral home stairwell, when he said he would give himself to Zhan Shili.

Zhan Shili scrutinized his face without restraint: “You haven’t answered my other question from back then yet: what exactly is your purpose?”

“It wasn’t a provocation,” Xu Shen corrected his statement from that night.

Zhan Shili sneered: “Then what was it? Seduction?”

Xu Shen looked into his eyes: “If I said I fell in love with you at first sight, would you believe me?”

No.

But Zhan Shili didn’t say it out loud.

Xu Shen insisted: “It was love at first sight; that evening in Manhattan when you came looking for me, I was already in love. It’s a pity you had someone else by your side, but it doesn’t matter; I don’t mind competing with him for you. Nic, don’t lead me on, alright?”

Suddenly, a knock on the door sounded, and Xu Zikang’s voice came through: “Nic, are you done changing?”

Xu Shen looked at Zhan Shili, motionless, waiting for him to give him an answer. Zhan Shili unhurriedly replied to the person outside the door: “Wait a moment.”

Xu Zikang relaxed upon hearing his voice: “The opening exhibition just wrapped up. Today went very smoothly. I was a bit nervous earlier, but thankfully you were here, Nic.”

Xu Shen leaned close to Zhan Shili: “It sounds almost like he’s confessing his love to you.”

Zhan Shili gave no reaction. Xu Shen let out a soft chuckle by his ear, repeating, “Thankfully you were here, Nic.”

Zhan Shili pressed a hand against the side of Xu Shen’s waist, his gesture carrying a warning.

Outside the door, Xu Zikang continued: “Actually, I used to hesitate a lot before, always feeling like no one would appreciate the things I painted. It was you who kept encouraging me, Nic, and that brought me to where I am today. Saying these things is pretty cheesy, and I would be too embarrassed to say them to you face-to-face, so I can only resort to telling you like this.”

Xu Zikang spoke with genuine sincerity, but Zhan Shili seemed indifferent, unclear how much of it he actually took in.

Xu Shen urged him, “You haven’t answered me yet.”

After a long pause, Zhan Shili tilted his head and finally said, “Depends on how you perform.”

Xu Shen’s breath hitched. Meeting Zhan Shili’s dark, calm eyes, he wrapped his arms around his neck.

He turned his head and kissed Zhan Shili’s Adam’s apple.

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t/n: spicy.

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